Teaspoons?

I have never owned or really even used a teaspoon, besides the ones used for measuring, before. Here these baby spoons are primarily used for scooping teabags out of teacups and stirring in milk or a lump of sugar. Where I am living the same number of teaspoons are washed up per day as forks. Which leads me to teatime. Generally you are either a Builders tea person (regular tea- Typhoon brand) or an Herbal tea person. Herbals like their tea pure, with no distractions from milk or sweeteners. Builders like their tea milky white, some prefer sugar, the older crowd prefers half tea/half hot water to keep them from staying up at night. When I first moved here I had about five 'cuppas' a day. After suffering from dehydration and watching my teeth start to dull I gave it up, and returned to being a coffee person. Gave it up, but gave in to something worse, instant coffee. It is in just about every household in the UK. In the US it barley makes it into one in five. I did force an upgrade from regular Nescafe to 'Alta Rica' blend, which is a definite improvement. But alas it is a pale imitation. Out of desperation and lack of bread (dough$) I ended up buying a percolator from a fellow American I came across on Gumtree (the UK equivalent of Craigslist). He was upgrading, and actually, so was I. After our 'exchange' at Kings Cross  I gallivanted over to Starbucks for a special treat. I went to the counter with my bag of beans, "I'd like these ground for a flat bottom machine please." Disbelief and confusion was what I saw. Luckily they were selling a coffee percolator behind me so I pointed to that. Slowly they began to realize they had a grinder behind them. Ten minutes later they figured out how to use it and looked thoroughly chuffed (pleased) when they handed over a bag full of Starbucks finest. The bag, which is smaller than the ones in the states, was el finito in about a week. Intimidated by my last transaction I waited until I went to the states over the holidays and came back with Starbucks and Caribou coffee galore. We were in permanent coffee heaven for about two months. After five days of Lavazza at fashion week, I've decided to try the Italian bean. Very good so far..

This brings me to the good ol' Americano. You can just go up to any coffee counter an order a cup of joe, most places don't do brewed coffee (just like most homes). The closest thing is the Americano, a shot of espresso with hot water.  I always feel like a tit/idiot (or titiot) ordering one. Another American ordering another Americano- how cliche!

All that said, I do enjoy a cup of tea sometimes, just like having a bath instead of a shower. Alas, you can take a gal out of America, but you can't take the America (or Americano) out of a gal! 

Last Look

Bye bye women with funny furry hats and headbands with springs sprouting out. Good bye VIP lounge, champagne bar, and press room wine. Looking forward to sitting down for five days to counter balance the five days of heels and small talk. See you next season!

BFC LFW

London is unfortunate in that it's homegrown talent gets sucked away into Europe or the US. At London Fashion Week there are catwalk (runway) shows at the Natural History Museum (3/day; the better ones are at other venues) and there also is a trade show at the same site for smaller designer's collections. To me it is a great concept giving small designers the chance to 'show' at LFW. In NY we have a separate trade show after fashion week called Coterie, about two weeks after the runway shows. Though there are millions of runway shows in NYC, enough that attending a sales show on top of it would really bowl fashion editors and buyers over, its nice that the smaller people have a chance to interact with the press and show their wears. Topshop sponsers a 'NexGen' area in the show where selected designers have big built out booths plus their own runway show the last day of LFW. Which again is great-- as long as they don't move to Paris after the season's over.

The most exciting part for me is Esthetica, the ethical fashion section of the sales show that is gaining momentum. It was great to talk to green bloggies/ and fashion editors/ green stylists/ green boutique owners/ and of course other designers. Nothing like it to take the temperature of ther ethical fashion movement. All were very nice and open about what they are doing, how they are working, and what groups they are supporting. Smart fashion- that is what I like to see! . Anyhow- here's the runway schedule and styles from 'Minna' the ethical designer I've been consulting/working with this season. 

British Obesession #1

The first in a series of British obsessions. Just by turning on the TV its is hard not to become aware of the latest British obsessions #2 Food and #3 Homes. #1 is a slightly new obsession that can be applied to Food and Homes, but is such a force it has it's own blog entry. 

Obsession #1: Living off the Land

From weaving baskets to growing your own pigs and slaughtering them this is the new British dream. You can learn how to make home made lip balm on BBC's 'Victorian Farm'. Read Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall's River Cottage Cookbook in order to butcher and cook up your very own Ol' Bess. My question is when do you go into the office? For those with 9-5 jobs you can go to The Yarner Trust in Devon at the weekend and take a course in 'traditional soapmaking' , 'backyard poultry', or 'wattling hurdles' (making fence for livestock). This isn't for farmers, its for you and me. Getting back to basics sounds like a b*tch to me!

A little leftover love!

Saw this Love Wall in Islington last night. Great idea, this couple was looking for a pen.

Wrapping up...

Drove through Blackpool the next day to see 'Blackpool Tower' built in 1894, at only 518 feet it's only half the size of its French rival the Eiffel. Next stop Samlesbury Hall near Preston. My husbands family rented this 14C. manor house in 1830 when the family was in the coal business. Now mainly a wedding venue the Tudor exterior is nothing compared to the intricate wood carvings decorating the walls, ceilings, even banisters inside. Interestingly the house, when built must have had Catholic residents that hid their priest in the 'priest's hole' just above the chapel to keep him safe from the Protestants. Drove through some local towns where these same relatives owned some land, and may still- when is that 999yr lease up again? (subject of a future blog). 

Stopped by a friend of my husbands house for lunch and walked around one of the reservoirs next door. Apparently an entire village was demolished to make room for these huge water stores. Ruins of this town still remain. If we had more time we wanted to go hunting for ghost towns in the North, a by product of the industrial boom and subsequent collapse. This was as close as we got. 

The best curry in the UK? London? Think again- Bradford. There were about 20 in this town from the list of 'best curry houses in the UK' to choose from. We settled on one, Mumtaz. This place is an institution. Dine on their delicious food, buy on of their logo purses, or prepared foods, how about a hamper of chutneys, curry baby food?, what about pan (a digestf). You can even have a full Pakistani or Indian wedding here. Food was delicious but maybe next time we'll pick another one with a little less bling.

Stayed in Leeds, just a half and hour away. It is a big city with lots of shopping malls, and a nightlife that doesn't stop. They also have 4 star hotels, that are cheap especially on lastminute.com!! We realized this really is the place to be when we discovered the 'Alcolizer' a coin operated breathalyzer in the parking garage. Some cab company should advertise right next to this thing- great money making scheme. Stopped in Harrogate because we spotted a really neat old tea room, 'Betty's'. Soon we discovered that this too was an institution, but a delicious one. My first Yorkshire Cream tea of the trip. I thought it was tea with clotted cream in it but its actually just tea with scones and clotted cream to put on top. Once it arrived I had a flashback to having tea the first time I was in London with my family as a youngster. Delicious! 

We had quickly stopped at a ruined Abby earlier in the drive. Where locals had turned the remains of the looted Abby into a house. But Fountains Abby was really beautiful. With few tourists willing to face the snow and ice we practically had the remains to ourselves. This was one of the biggest Cistercian Abby's in the UK which was ultimately destroyed by Henry VIII in the Dissolution.

Drove on up into the Yorkshire Moors- slightly less impressive covered in snow and stopped at an old pub in the middle of the National Park at Hutton le Hole for a pint. Out of the Moors we quickly rounded the harbour at Whitby, Captain James Cook's hometown and got some pictures of the ruined Whitby Abby on the hill above. By dark we made it to another of our friends homes where we would stay the next two evenings. 

Next day took it easy walking around Malton, the local town and saw where the animal auctions are in the summertime. Zipped up to Castle Howard and met our friends neighbor the local vicar for drinks- funny guy! 

Our final day we drove up to Brodsworth Hall only to find the grounds were closed due to ice. So we snuck over a couple fences to see this house that my husband used to frequent as a kid. "Wow it looks so small now"  he said. Isn't that always the way.

Returned the rental car and wandered around York for a couple of hours. Had 'Sunday Roast' a tradition in the UK, usually either lamb or meat with veg, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding ( a similar food would be a popover). Our last site was the National Railway Museum, I didn't think I would like this at all but it was really cool. Wish I could have taken my dad along, he would have loved it everything from the trains themselves to station benches, vintage menus, and ticket stubs. Our bus was broken down so we got an hour luxury taxi ride to the next bus stop and rode five more hours to Victoria Station. 

Great time, now back to work....

(pix: Robin Reliant 3 Wheeled Car, (a replica of) The Rocket Engine at York Na. Railway Museum, Samlesbury Hall, Rievaulx Abby, Blackpool Tower)

...more pix

Pix (Wobbly house Stratford Upon Avon; Tudor Wells, Roman bath in Bath; Welsh hills)